Once in a while in the SA music Industry a star falls from the sky to shine the brightest among others, blessed with an angelic voice Khonaye is one such star. Carob magazine catches up with the new songstress for a chat.

CAROB MAGAZINE: Who is Khonaye?

Khonaye: My name is Anelisa Khonaye Blom, I'm the last born of four children and the only female. I was born in East London Mdanstane in the Eastern Cape to Nomvelwano Vivian Blom. At the age of four I moved to Cape Town to live with my brother where I received all my schooling.

CAROB MAGAZINE:What inspires your music Khonaye?

Khonaye: What inspires my music is the gift of being able to tell a story through music and relate to everyone that listens to it.

CAROB MAGAZINE: When did you know that this is something you wanted to do as a career?

Khonaye: When I was in Primary School I entered Miss Valentine and won because I sang as part of the competition and that has to be the moment I realized that there was something there. I had found something to give to the world through song.

CAROB MAGAZINE: How would you describe your sound or genre of music?

Khonaye: It's a mixture of African Soul with elements of Jazz it must evoke emotions of joy and sadness and make you reflect as a listener on better times if you are in a bad space or of those moments when things weren't going according to plan.

CAROB MAGAZINE: Your look, very fresh and natural, any specific reason you have the Afrocentric look?

Khonaye: Individuality in community. My look tells of my roots as an African child and one that is in tune with my heritage but is not intellectually backwards.

CAROB MAGAZINE: Which local artist would you love to work with?

Khonaye: First and foremost, "The Soil", Bab'Hugh Masekela and last but not least Nathi Mankayi. For the reasons mentioned of telling a story through music.

CAROB MAGAZINE: Who do you look up to for inspiration?

Khonaye: Growing up I looked up to my brother who was an over achiever in the family, his persistence and drive was amazing.

Musically I looked up to the likes of Mam'Miriam Makeba, Bab'Harry Bellefonte and Bab'Caiphas Semenya the likes of those great musical geniuses.

CAROB MAGAZINE: If you were granted two wishes, what would it be?

Khonaye: Having dinner with former President Thabo Mbeki and Tyler Perry.

The second wish would be to have my wonderful great grandfather Dabephi and my grandmother Mam'Tshawe to be alive to see this journey.

CAROB MAGAZINE: What advice can you give to younger aspiring musicians in the industry?

Khonaye : Finish what you start, particularly school, if you can't live without that passion and gift fight for it with every breath in you and never let anyone or anything change you.